DRAGON POEMS

Many of these 23 poems are new, with a sprinkling from popular contemporaries like Jack Prelutsky, Lilian Moore, and X. J. Kennedy; the point of view is largely British, and what could be mote appropriate for St. George's traditional antagonist? Whether the subject is a Doctor De Soto-style vet braving fiery jaws in a flame-proof suit, a ""very tame"" pet dragon that ""only eats a few"" of the children queued up to pat him, or a ghostly green emanation cuffed up in a castle courtyard, invisible to all but the young narrator, the mood here is light. Paul's illustrations have Tony Ross's wicked ebullience, with witty modern allusions, gruesome details, and the endearingly fierce protagonists limned in fine, energetic lines and artfully added color that recalls Henrik Drescher. A book with uproarious visual appeal, well matched to the comical, rhythmic verse.